Fan.



NO.- 845,626. PATENTEDFBB. ze, 1907.

.J B FUTRBLLM. c. GAsKINs.

PAN.

APPLIoATIoN FILED AUG. 24, 1905,

Fig.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J B FUTRELL AND THOMAS C. GASKINS, OF GARLAND, TEXAS.

FANs

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

To all whom, t may con/cern:

Be it known that we, J B FUTRELL and THOMAS C. GAsKrNs, citizens of the United States, residing at Garland, in the county of Dallas and State of rTexas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fans; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invenf tion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to fans.

The object of the invention is to provide a strong motor-operated fan having suitable speed-controlling mechanism whereby the movement of the fan may be regulated, thus enabling the fan to operate for a greater or less period of time between the winding up of the spring.

A further object is to provide a fan of this character the operating mechanism of which will be simple, strong, durable, and eflicient and constructed in such a manner that the fan may be arranged in various positions.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the fan constructed in accordance with the invention, one side of the casing being removed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the operating mechanism, the casing being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view through the operating mechanism, showing the arrangement of the speed-controlling mechanism or governor; and Figs. 4 and 5 are detail fragmentary views showing modified forms of the speed-controlling device or governor.

Referring to the drawings more particularly, 1 denotes the casing of the fan, said casing being constructed in any suitable shape and of any suitable material. The casing 1 may be supported in any desired manner, but is here shown as suspended from the ceiling by means of hanging-b ars 2, which latter, however, may be dispensed with and the casing 1 secured directly to the ceilings, this latter arrangement being used when the ceilings are very low.

Within the casing 1 is arranged a spring motor-frame 3, in which is mounted a train of spring-actuated gears 4. On the shaft 5 of the main drive-gear 6 of said train is arranged a spiral spring 7, the inner end of which is connected to said shaft 5 and the outer end of which is connected to the frame 3. The gearwheel 6 is connected to the shaft 5 by a suitable ratchet mechanism, whereby the shaft may be turned in one direction to wind the spring without operating said wheel, the opposite movement of the shaft, caused by the uncoiling of the spring, being imparted to the wheel 6 through the ratchet mechanism hereinbefore mentioned, thus causing the gear-wheel 6 to be driven in the proper direction to operate the train of gears 4 connected thereto. Journaled in the frame 3 is a fan-shaft 8, on which is fixed a pinion 9, said pinion being operatively engaged by the train of gears 4 to revolve said fan-shaft. On the outer end of the fanshaft 8 are secured fan-blades 10, which are adapted to be revolved by the movement of said shaft.

In order that the speed of the fan may be controlled, a suitable brake or governor mechanism is provided, said governor mechanism consisting of a brake-bar 12, adapted to frictionally engage a brake or friction wheel 13, which is fixedly mounted upon one of the shafts of the train of gears 4. Said brake-bar 12 is held in yielding engagement with the periphery of said friction-wheel by means of a spring 14, formed integrally or secured to the brake-bar 12, as shown, the brake-b ar and spring being pivotally mounted on the frame in proper position to engage said wheel 13. The lower end of the spring 14 is adapted to bear against the inner end of a tension-screw 15, arranged in a bracket 17, secured to the frame 3. By screwing the tension screw or bolt 15 in one direction or the other the tension of the spring 14 will be increased or decreased to cause the brake-bar 12 to more or less tightly engage the periphery of the friction-wheel 13, thus allowing the same and the gears 4 to turn with more or less freedom, consequently driving the fanshaft at a greater or less speed, as may be desired.

In Figs. 4 and 5 is shown a modified construction of the speed-controlling mechanism. In Fig. 4 said mechanism is shown as consisting of a brake-bar 18, provided at its opposite ends with guide eyes or loops 19, which are slidably mounted upon guide-rods 20, suitably secured to the frame 3. Said bar 18 is provided midway between its ends and adjacent to the side of the friction-wheel IOO 13 with an outwardly-projecting bend 21, said outwardly-projecting bend of the brakebar being adapted to be engaged by the inner end of a set-screw 22, which when screwed inwardly will force said bar into engagement with the periphery of the friction-wheel to retard the movement of the same to a greater or less degree. On the lower` or inner side of the brake-bar 18 is adapted to be engaged a spring 23, which is suitably arranged on the bracket-arm 24, fixed on the frame 3, whereby when the bral e-bar 13 is released by the screw 22 said bar will be moved away from or out of engagement with the periphery of the friction-wheel 13, thus releasing the same.

In Fig. 5 the speed-controlling mechanism is shown as consisting of an arm or bar 25, which is pivotally connected at one end to the frame 3 and provided at its opposite end with a brake-shoe 26, said brake-shoe being provided with a segmental bearing-surface to engage the periphery of the wheel 13. This shoe 26 is moved and held in engagement with the wheel by means of a set-screw 27, which is mounted in the frame 1, the inner end of said screw being adapted to bear upon a coil-spring 28, which is arranged in a recess 29, formed in the outer face of said brakeshoe, whereby said shoe is held in yielding engagement with the friction-wheel 13 by means of said screw 27. The brake-shoe 26 is automatically disengaged from the friction-wheel 13 when released by the screw 27 by means ofa coil-spring 30, which is arranged in a socket 31, secured to a bracket 32 upon the frame 2. Said coil-spring 30 is adapted to bear upon the inner or under side of the bar 25, the tension of the spring being exerted to force said bar and shoe away from and out of engagement with the friction-wheel.

The fan-shaft 8, friction-wheel shaft, and

spring-wheel or winding shaft 5 are provided with antifrictional bearings 33 to cause said shafts to run lightly and easily, thus enabling the use of a much lighter spring to operate the machine.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The herein-described fan comprising a supporting-frame, a train of multiplying-gears revolubly mounted in said frame, a spring for driving said gears, a revolubly-mounted fanshaft, means whereby said shaft is connected to and driven by said gears, a friction-wheel mounted upon the shaft of one of said gears, a spring brake device comprising a resilient metal bar formed with a slit extending longitudinally from one of its ends to a point adj acent to its opposite end to provide a brakeshoe for engagement with the periphery of said friction-wheel and to also provide an integral spring having an outwardly-bent outer end, said bar being pivoted at its closed end upon said supporting-frame, and a set-screw in said frame adapted to bear against the bent outer end of the spring to regulate the tension thereof, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J B FUTRELL. THOMAS C. GASKINS.

Witnesses:

JOHN K. /VILLIAMS, W. T. BEAVER. 

